The Gateway District of Foursquare Churches serves Colorado, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Missouri: States that conjure up for me images of the Marlboro Man, the “God Made a Farmer” Super Bowl commercial, a rival football team (the Denver Broncos), a sprinkling of “People’s Republics,” and, at least in Colorado, a strange smell that reminds me of “coffee shops” in Amsterdam.
I have enjoyed working with District Supervisor Sam Rockwell. His partnership has been critical in our development of Foursquare in Russia and Ukraine. And I have the deepest respect for Peter Henderson. His work as the District Missions Representative is exceptional, worthy of a J.D. Powers “Best in Class” award.
So, I was looking forward to being with them in Keystone, Colorado for their annual conference, September 15-17.
The conference theme was “Bloom.” Taken from Isaiah 35:1-2, “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like a desert flower, it will burst into bloom.”
The setting was incredible. The sessions were exceptional. But there was something more: an essence that it took a few days of observation to wrap my head around.
There was something portending a greater destiny: Gateway was not just the name of the district; it was a prophetic calling they were positioning themselves to fulfill. They are positioning themselves to become a Gateway for the Advancement of the Mission of God. I watched. I prayed. I reflected. And I saw Seven Indicators of Greater Days Ahead. Here is what I observed:
- A Culture of Honor.
Never in more than 25 years of ministry have I see people so honored. Here are two examples:
They way they honored the missionaries from their district (paid their way to get there, then honored them in each session).
They honored those who were receiving their 25 and 50 service awards. These faithful servants were brought onto the platform and the whole gathering celebrated their service.
It was the kind of honor only humility can produce.
- An Atmosphere of Celebration.
God was celebrated. People were celebrated. Faithfulness was celebrated. You never got the feeling it was one of those performance-driven churchy things were only the mega-church was seen as important. The attitude was “Let’s celebrate following Jesus regardless of where He leads.”
- A Nurturing Community.
The Gateway District is making serious investment into its pastors and leaders, seeking to nurture them to become the best version of themselves.
- Passionate Pursuit the Mission of God
These men and women are intent on fulfilling the mission of God in their communities, state, district, nation, and world. They are “all in.” They have skin in the game.
- Hunger for God and His Kingdom.
It was evident in the depth of worship, their hunger for the Word, and their openness to radical expressions of the love of God for ALL peoples. I hope the sessions are going to be made available. They were that good. But you better buckle up and open up before you start listening.
- Serving Others Lavishly.
They were living out Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
- Call it Authenticity, Transparency, Missional, Incarnational, or any of those trendy words teetering on the edge of impotency because of over-use. For me, I can best describe it as “The Beatitudes Personified.”
No prancing. No prating. No pretense: Just humble shepherds following their Chief Shepherd. Blessed indeed.
I am leaving the Gateway District Conference with a renewed heart to honor, to celebrate, to nurture, to pursue, to hunger, to serve, and to personify the beatitudes because I want the parched lands of my life to flourish.
Autumn is settling upon the Rockies but within the Gateway District of Foursquare Churches I see the blossoming of spring’s promise to bloom.
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Debbie and I serve as the FMI Global Associate Director for MENACA and Europe. We focus on cultivating disciples, leaders, and church planting movements.
